JUST over two decades ago, towards the end of the first season of the Premier League, came the moment when English football became inferior to the foreign game.

Tony Adams – a man who epitomised all that we cherish from our players in the UK – stood imperiously on the halfway line as England led those total football merchants from the Netherlands 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier.

Looking up, he spotted movement out by the right-hand touchline. Deftly, without a moment’s thought, he attempted to flick the ball in that direction with the outside of his right boot. Inexorably, England watched as it trickled out for a Holland throw-in – on the left-hand touchline. Did we not like that. It was downhill from there.

Fast forward to last night and John Terry is nothing if not Adams in terms of what he represents for club and country. Yesterday, he was on the bench.

Such is the inferiority complex that has developed in the intervening years that, while our homegrown defenders are expected to stick to the simple stuff, the imports are applauded for the most basic technical skill.

Hence the line of Chelsea players keen to shake David Luiz’s hand when his simple 25-yard sideways pass picked out Frank Lampard in enough space to put Oscar cleverly in for the opening goal just before half-time. True, the Brazilian had played an important part in successfully developing play from defence into attack.

That, though, is the job of any modern centre-back. Did it really merit such plaudits? And, at what cost is Luiz’s creative influence?

Luiz, after all, was the defender who stood behind and not in front of four Everton strikers when Steven Naismith scored their late winner on Saturday.

Last night, he was the man who stumbled over an attempt to control the ball and then played a loose pass beyond Lampard and straight to Kay Voser. Both within the opening 90 seconds.

As much wanted for dereliction of duty on occasions as he is wanted by Barcelona, Luiz remains an enigma for Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho had picked Terry in 28 of his last 31 Champions League games. One theory for his omission centred on Saturday’s Fulham derby.

Away from pressure, Luiz was able to show why he is one of the Premier League’s finest footballers. But when Mohamed Salah equalised for Basle, it was Luiz’s man who teed him up as the Chelsea player stood two yards off him on the edge of the area.

Although he was blameless for Basle’s second, it was untimely proof that defensively at least Luiz’s learning curve needs to be as sharp and fast-turning as Adams imagined that pass would be all those years ago.